1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for selecting routes between a starting point and a destination. More specifically, the present invention relates to the assignments of ratings to vehicles, road segments and routes so that ratings can be assigned to alternative routes from a vehicle to its destination.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the problems faced by automobile drivers on a daily basis, particularly in densely populated areas, is the possibility that the drivers' routes of travel may be unpredictably subject to slow downs and stoppages due to a variety of causes. Such congestion wastes commuters' time, increases fuel consumption, and exacerbates air pollution. One of the most significant causes of such slow downs, in addition to accidents and other unpredictable events, is inefficient use of existing roadways. Statistics show that in some larger cities in China major roads, which compose only one-third of the road network, handle 80% of all vehicular traffic, while secondary roads only handle 20% of all vehicular traffic. Improving road utilization efficiency has become a major topic of both government and academic research.
One solution to this problem would be to enable a driver to monitor traffic density and speeds along the driver's projected route of travel on a real-time or near-time basis using portable, wireless devices the driver can carry while traveling. When the driver detects a problem along the intended route of travel, she can choose another route that is flowing smoothly. If such portable devices are to accurately display traffic density and speed on a real-time or near-time basis, they must continuously receive data on vehicular traffic reflecting traffic density and speed corresponding to multiple physical locations. This presents two significant challenges.
First, collecting detailed traffic data for a large municipality requires continuously measuring traffic speed and density at a large number of physical locations. Such a system requires a significant capital expenditure for setting up sensor locations for data collection.
Second, such data has the potential to be extremely voluminous. Many hundreds of vehicles may pass a specific spatial point over the course of a minute. Furthermore, in order to reflect accurately the flow of vehicular traffic along multiple routes, data from many spatial points must be processed. Thus, if vehicular traffic data were broadcast at its lowest level of detail, the prior art warns of overwhelming the receiving and processing capacity of small wireless devices.